(SitNews) - In an open letter addressed to all Alaskans, Governor Bill Walker announced today that he is suspending his campaign for re-election for Governor.

With more time, he said he was confident that he and the newly appointed Lt. Governor Val Davidson could deliver a message and a campaign that could earn a victory. With only 18 days before the election, Walker said he did not believe he could win a three-way race.

In his announcement, Walker said Alaskans deserve a competitive race and Alaskans deserve a choice other than Mike Dunleavy. Walker said in his announcement that on balance, it is his belief that despite his many differences with Mark Begich, his stance on many important issues more closely align with his priorities for Alaska.

Following is the full text of Governor Walker's announcement suspending his campaign for re-election for Governor:

"Dear Alaskans,

I ran for re-election because I still believe that, more than anything else, Alaska deserves integrity, honesty, and courage. 

Alaska First is, and cannot only be, a campaign slogan. When I said I ran for governor to do the job, not make the decisions to keep the job, I meant exactly what I said.  Every decision I have made as your governor, I have made on the basis of what I believe is best for Alaska. 

With that said, effective today, I am suspending my campaign for re-election as Governor. With more time, I am confident that Val and I could deliver a message and a campaign that could earn a victory in this election.

But there are only 18 days remaining before election day. Absentee ballots have already been mailed, and Alaskans are already voting. In the time remaining, I believe we cannot win a three-way race.

This week I have talked to many Alaskans to determine whether I or Mark Begich had a better chance of running a competitive race against Mike Dunleavy. The determination was made that, at this point, Begich has the better odds.

Alaskans deserve a competitive race. Alaskans deserve a choice other than Mike Dunleavy, whose record and campaign rhetoric indicate he will:

• eliminate Medicaid Expansion that has provided healthcare access to 44,000 Alaskans, created jobs and brought $1 billion federal dollars into the Alaskan economy while decreasing State healthcare expenditures by $16 million, kept hospitals from closing, and saved lives;
  
  
• defund the Alaska LNG Gasline project that has made historic progress, will create 12,000 high paying construction jobs, 88,000 direct and indirect jobs and deliver low cost energy to our homes and businesses;
  
  
• undo the bipartisan approved sustainable fiscal plan that has resulted in fiscal stability, significantly reduced the deficit, improved our credit rating and preserved the PFD program into perpetuity;
  
  
• cause our most vulnerable to suffer the brunt of the additional $1 billion in budget cuts he vows to make to education, rural Alaska and those receiving healthcare.

Moreover, my administration has worked tirelessly to improve the relationship between Tribes and State and restore respect for Alaska's First Peoples in state government. Yesterday, I apologized on behalf of the State of Alaska for the wrongs committed against the Alaska Native people throughout our history, because I believed that was best for Alaska. My expectation is that this work critical to the healing of historical trauma and unifying all Alaskans will be undone in a Dunleavy administration.

On balance, it is my belief that despite my many differences with Mark Begich, his stance on the important issues I have listed above more closely align with my priorities for Alaska.

This is not the first difficult decision I have made this week, but it is one I know I must make. There simply are no words to express my deepest gratitude to the incomparable, dedicated team of outstanding Alaskans who have served in my administration and to the thousands of supporters, donors, volunteers and campaign staff who have been passionately committed to my re-election. And above all, I want to say thank you to my family and to Donna, my first lady for life.  

As I said earlier this week, ultimately, it's not how long my team and I serve, it's how well we served the people and the state we love while the opportunity was ours. We have served with integrity, courage, devotion, and compassion, never asking ourselves whether a decision is politically correct but always asking if it is right for Alaska. I am proud of the work we have done in the most challenging fiscal crisis in state history and it is the honor of my life to have served as the governor of this great state.

Thank you, God bless you all, and may God continue to bless Alaska.

Bill Walker"

Later Friday evening, Brett Huber, campaign manager for Alaskans for Dunleavy, made the following statement regarding Governor Bill Walker’s announcement earlier this afternoon that he is suspending his re-election campaign. 

Huber said in his prepared statement, “Governor Walker could have chosen a dignified, graceful exit to his campaign.  Instead, he opted to bow out with a bitter, partisan attack on Mike Dunleavy. It’s too bad—Alaskans deserve better." 

“While many special interest power brokers have labored feverishly in the last few days to manipulate this election, our campaign has operated transparently, in full view of the public, from day one. Mike Dunleavy has traveled the state, listening to voters at town halls, debates, and forums. The message from voters is clear: they’re upset about slashed PFDs, skyrocketing crime, explosive government growth, record unemployment, and dismal educational outcomes. Mike Dunleavy has the vision and leadership to tackle these challenges and place Alaska on a different trajectory," said Huber.

Huber stated, “Mike entered the race for governor in 2017 and expected from the outset that he would be in a two-way race. Today’s developments leave Alaska voters with a clear choice. They can choose a career politician who welcomes new taxes, promises to cap the PFD, and wants to greatly expand the size of government. Or they can choose a leader who will reduce the size of government, pay full PFDs, and put criminals in jail where they belong. Bill Walker may have suspended his campaign, but his agenda remains on the Nov. 6 ballot. Mike Dunleavy believes it’s time to finally put an end to political gamesmanship and place our state on a course toward a more prosperous and optimistic future.” [End of Update]

Although Gov. Walker has suspended his campaign for re-election, according to the Alaska Division of Elections, although Election Day is not until November 6, the election actually begins on October 22nd with early and absentee in-person, electronic transmission, and special needs voting. Accordingly, the general election ballot has been certified and printed, and Bill Walker and Byron Mallott, who recently resigned as Lt. Governor this week, will appear together as candidates for governor and lieutenant governor on that ballot.

The Alaska Division of Elections conferred with the Alaska Department of Law after the resignation earlier this week by Lt. Gov. Mallott. At that time, the Division of Elections stated in a news release that under state law, it is too late for a candidate to withdraw from the ballot; that must happen at least 64 days before the general election.

In the latest Ivan Moore Alaska Survey of the candidates (Tracker 3) released on October 16th just hours before Mallott's official resignation announcement, showed it increasingly unlikey that either Begich or Walker would win the Governor's race.

With just days to go until the General Election, Ivan Moore's third in a series of five independent tracking surveys of likely Alaska voters conducted October 12-14 shows Senator Mike Dunleavy still with a commanding lead in the Governor’s race.  Democrat Mark Begich and Independent Bill Walker split the rest of the vote right down the middle.

Mike Dunleavy 43.4%

Bill Walker 26.6%

Mark Begich 26.4%

Undecided 3.6%

Related News:

Byron Mallott resigns as Lieutenant Governor effective immediately; Valerie Nurr'araaluk Davidson sworn in as Lieutenant Governor By MARY KAUFFMAN
SitNews - October 16, 2018

Source of News:

Walker campaign
https://www.walkermallottforalaska.com

Alaska Election Division
elections.alaska.gov

Alaskans for Dunleavy
alaskansfordunleavy.com

Ivan Moore Alaska Survey
ivanmooreresearch.com

 

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